


A Good Day for Ghosts

by blueraeanddvd



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Ghost Hunters, Ben is alive, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, No Beta, Past Drug Addiction, Sibling Bonding, We Die Like Men, Will Be Explained Later, and his brothers are there for him, and vanya knows she has powers, five stopped the apocalypse, klaus is healing, they are gonna hunt ghosts together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-27 05:35:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18190424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueraeanddvd/pseuds/blueraeanddvd
Summary: Klaus is sober and wants to hunt ghosts. His brothers inevitably get roped into it.





	A Good Day for Ghosts

After getting kicked out of the police academy, Diego had no idea what was going to come next. He should’ve known it wouldn’t last; he was too reckless and hot-headed, had always been that way. But now he had put all his cards in just to lose his chips. He had no job, no money, and no place to live. 

He couldn’t go back to the mansion. God, he would rather sleep on the streets than go back to that house. His skin crawled at the thought. But Diego was not one to give up easily, so he went out looking for a job and somewhere to sleep. Conveniently, he found both in the same place. In exchange for mopping the floors (and doing a few fights every once and awhile), Diego had a little place to stay. He grew accustomed to it over time, mostly just stopping in to sleep or make a cup noodle. It was a simple life for the most part, and he actually enjoyed it.

Nothing’s ever that simple for a Hargreeve.

It was a pretty normal night, to say the least. Diego had just gotten back from one of his vigilante outings, and was ready to hit the hay, when he heard something in his room. His first thought was intruder, because that’s just how his brain is wired. Always looking for the bad in things, finding the crime in every alleyway or on every dark street corner.

The first thing he noticed as he approached his abode was that the door was ajar. Diego was sure he had shut and locked it before he left, so he was sure of the criminal intent now. Readying a knife, Diego peeked through the crack of the door. Before he could do anything, there was a loud  _ bang _ of metal hitting the floor, and a familiar voice yelled out.

“Oh, god damnit!” Klaus yelled out, and Diego let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Pushing open the door, he yelled.

“What the hell are you doing here, Klaus?” The other man jumped from his crouched position on the floor to look at Diego. He grinned nervously at him.

“I’m just… making macaroni. What’re  _ you  _ doing here?” Klaus gestured to the floor, where water and cooked noodles are sitting. He must’ve dropped the pot.

“I’m here because  _ this is my house _ . How did you even get in here?” Diego questioned, finally settling down a bit. If his brother just needed to eat, he wasn’t going to say no.

“You know exactly how I got in here, Diego. I taught you how to pick locks at fourteen.” Klaus laughed. He bent back down now, scooping noodles back into the pan.

“Klaus, good god, don’t eat those. Just make another box.” Diego insisted from his place on the couch. He had taken off his harness by now, hanging it in his usual spot, and was now just watching Klaus do his thing.

“I’m  _ trying _ to clean them up. Did you really think I was gonna eat floor noodles?” 

“Yeah, that seems like something you would do.” Diego chuckled slightly at his own joke, thinking back to when they were kids and Klaus would steal his bacon at breakfast, licking it quickly and exclaiming,  _ it’s mine now! _

“Well, my days of being gross are over. Actually, no, I’m still gross, but not  _ as _ gross. Wanna know why?” Klaus looked over at him now, grinning ear to ear. Diego couldn’t help but ask what he wanted to hear.

“I am officially sober for good! I just finished my  _ voluntary _ 90 days.” Klaus was back to cleaning up now, but Diego could hear the smile in his voice. 

He wasn’t exactly sure if he should trust this. Klaus has said time and time again that he was sober  _ for good _ . He would flaunt his 30 day chip at you, make a few jokes about maybe getting a job, and then he’d be back in rehab the week after. It hurt Diego that he couldn’t really trust his brother.

Klaus glanced at Diego, who looked doubtfully at him.

“What? I’m serious! I’ll even show you my paperwork if you want. There was no court order, I could’ve left at any time, but I didn’t. I really wanna try this time.” He said. Klaus watched the pot of water he had put on the stove as little bubbles formed in the bottom. 

“Why now?” Diego finally asked. Klaus stopped fiddling with the stove for a moment, his eyes glancing down at the floor. Diego could see him wringing his hands.

“Because I missed you guys. I missed being part of the family,” Klaus answered, finally turning to look at his brother. “You all treat me like some kind of idiot when I’m high, or like I’m some little kid you need to babysit. I decided I’m done with that. I wanna have a real relationship with my siblings.” Diego wasn’t sure what to say or do now. He thought about hugging him, but that wasn’t his style. Instead, he folded his hands across his lap and said,

“I’m proud of you, Klaus.” He knew that was the right thing to say when Klaus started smiling again.

“Thanks, I appreciate it. Sorry for breaking into your house, by the way. I guess it’s just instinct at this point.” He said, and they both laughed lightly.

Diego ended up staying awake for much later than he expected, but it was well worth it. The rest of the night and part of the morning was spent eating mac and cheese and catching up with his brother. Klaus recounted stories from his time in rehab, funny little tidbits and some scary encounters. Diego told him about the police academy, how it just  _ wasn’t for him _ , and then spoke in lengths about his vigilante work. Klaus asked about the rest of the family, too, and they chatted about Allison’s movies and Ben’s book. They talked  _ a lot _ about Ben, about his job at the university. Klaus said he always knew Ben would do something great like that, writing books and teaching. Ben had always been the best of them.

Klaus ended up crashing on the couch that night. Diego fought the urge to hide his wallet somewhere, check for his valuables. He was almost certain that Klaus was serious this time. He was so serious that he even asked Diego for help looking for a job. He said yes, of course, even though he probably wasn’t the best person for that. After all, he mopped floors at a boxing gym.

 

That afternoon, Diego woke up and Klaus was gone. He silently cursed at himself for believing his bullshit, fighting the urge to punch something, go out and find Klaus so he could punch  _ him _ . 

Then he found the note.

_ Diego, _

_ I couldn’t sleep so I went out to pick up some brunch. Don’t worry, it’s my treat. Be back soon. _

_ With love, Klaus <3 _

 

He sighed with relief but checked his wallet anyways.

 

Klaus wandered down the sidewalk at 8am, the sun just starting to rise over the buildings. The morning was cool compared to the heat they had been having this summer, and Klaus wished he would’ve brought a jacket.

He only had about $20 dollars left to his name, but he was more than willing to spend it on Diego. McDonald’s was his best bet, or maybe a Tim Horton’s; whichever one crosses his path first. 

Klaus can’t remember the last time he was in this part of town. He usually avoided anything too close to the mansion in fear of running into his father, but he doesn’t really have to worry about that now.

He always thought he’d leave this town, move to a bigger city with better parties and enjoy his life until he inevitably dies. Not everyone is meant to follow their dreams, though, and Klaus still finds himself here. 

At least he’s close to his siblings, he always told himself, at least he can always go to them if he needs help. That promise expired after his fourth rehab visit.

He couldn’t bring himself to be bitter about the rejection from his siblings. He knew he was awful, stealing from them and begging for money. Five had told him that he was done funding his drug habits, and Klaus couldn’t blame him. He was done, too.

He found a McDonald’s a few blocks away from the gym and picked up a few Sausage Egg McMuffins. One thing he and Ben had always joked about was the names restaurants give their meals. Why does it have to be a McMuffin? Just call it a muffin. One time, Ben offered the idea of naming your kids like that.  _ You’d be RegKlaus and I’d be RegBen. It’s impractical! _

God, Klaus missed Ben. He missed all of his siblings, but Ben definitely took the cake. He was always there for Klaus when he needed him, never turned him away. It had been so long since he had seen his brother. 

Klaus had stopped going to Ben when he needed money, even though he had enough and he had never turned him down.  _ You don’t know how much you hurt me when I have to look at you like this _ , Ben told him the last time he had seen him. He had come to his door deep in withdrawal, sweating and shaking like a madman. He felt, looked, and smelled like death, and the ghost of his drug buddy kept yelling in his ear.

Klaus shook the memory out of his head, picking up his pace as he trudged down the sidewalk. It was warmer now, and he just wanted to get back to the gym.

 

“I’m home, dearest brother,” Klaus announced as he opened the door to the apartment, “And I come bearing sustenance.” He grinned at his brother, kicking the door closed behind him. The room was so much darker than outside or the gym. In a way, that was very Diego.

“You didn’t have to go get something, I could’ve made breakfast.” His brother responded. He seemed to have cleaned up the dishes from off the table, making space for their little brunch.

“Yeah, well, I guess I’m spoiling you a little.” Klaus replied as he unceremoniously set the bag down on the table. “Bone apple teeth.” Diego barked out a laugh.

“I’m not even gonna try to correct that,” He said, and they started to eat.

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Klaus started,

“You? I’m shocked.” 

“You’re so funny, Diego. Anyways, I was thinking about what I’m gonna do next. First, I wanna go visit Ben. I have some… unfinished business there, I guess you could call it. After that, I have no idea.”

“Okay, do you need me to drive you there?” Diego offered. He was happy to help his brother if he was really trying to change.

“Oh, thank god, I didn’t wanna take the bus. You finish your breakfast while I get my things.” Klaus said, jumping up from his seat on the couch to start getting his things in order. He had only brought a book bag of stuff, but his clothes had already found their way around the room.

“Aren’t you gonna eat?” Diego inquired. Klaus had barely taken a bite of his sandwich.

“I ate one on the way here.” He lied. It had been almost 4 months since he had really been hungry; He could barely bring himself to eat a single meal a day. 

 

A few minutes later and the boys were in the car on their way to the university. It wasn’t required, but Ben still lived on campus. He was a fiction and literature teacher there, but that’s about all Klaus knew about his job. He never stayed to chat, just got his money and was gone.

Klaus thought about what he might say to Ben.  _ Long time no see _ ? No, that was too cheesy.  _ Hey bro, sorry I made you give me money and stole from you _ ? No, too blunt.  _ I guess I’ll just do the usual _ , Klaus told himself,  _ wing it _ . 

30 more minutes and Klaus and Diego were at Ben’s door. He remembered the code into the apartment from when Ben had first moved in. He gave him $50 to help him move his couch.

Klaus held his breath and knocked on the door.

 

A rapping noise echoed from the door throughout the apartment. Ben looked up from the book he was reading to stare quizzically at the door for a moment. He doesn’t usually get visitors, just the occasional salesman. After a second of contemplation, Ben snapped back into reality to go greet whoever was knocking. He swung open the door to find the faces of two of his brothers.

“Long time no see?” Klaus smiled at him. It had been almost a year since he had seen him, and Ben couldn’t stop himself from wrapping him in a hug. He pulled away quickly when he felt his brother tense under his touch. “Sorry, I know that was a cheesy line.” Klaus laughed at himself.

He knew he should’ve gone with the blunt response. Anything would’ve been better than his nonchalant greeting. He felt like he was ignoring everything he had done, like he was trying to brush it off.  _ The past is in the past _ , he imagined Ben saying. That was true for the most part, but the past still affects them, so it still mattered.

“Well, come on in, guys. Sorry it’s kind of messy, I wasn’t expecting anyone.” Ben invited them in. He was always nice like that, always ready to help.

“We probably should’ve called first. Klaus just wanted to come for a visit.” Diego said to fill the awkward silence. 

“So,” Ben paused, “where have you been, Klaus?” And here they go. Klaus was waiting for it, but he didn’t expect it right away. 

“For the last 90 days, I’ve been in rehab.” Klaus breathed out, staring idly down at his feet. It wasn’t this hard with Diego, so why was he struggling now.

“Voluntarily. He went there by himself; I even saw the paperwork.” Diego adds for him. He sounds proud of him, and it gives Klaus a bit more confidence.

“Before we move past the sad, hard to talk about stuff, can I just say that I’m sorry? You don’t have to accept the apology; I know I wouldn’t if I were you. I just want you to know that I’m really, really sorry, and I’m trying my hardest to be better.” Klaus said, practically begging. He knew he sounded pathetic, but he didn’t care. He needed him to know how he felt.

“Klaus… of course I forgive you. I just,” Ben paused, “I need it to be true this time. I need you to _really_ get sober, get a job, live like a regular person. I want to see you live a good life.” He finished, looking at Klaus. The man stared back at him with glazed over eyes. They weren’t like they used to be, clouded by the high with no life behind them. Ben could see the emotion in them, and this time it was tears that gave them their shine. They started to trickle down his cheeks, and Ben and Diego knew they were finally getting their brother back.

 

Klaus had forgotten he was able to cry. It had been so long since he let himself feel anything that he almost jumped when he felt the tears streaming down his face. Ben came over and wrapped him in a hug; a real one this time. He held him in his embrace, and Klaus laid his head on his shoulder and let the tears soak into his sweatshirt. 

 

Diego felt weird just watching his brothers hug. He was never great with showing his emotions, but he felt like this was important. He loved his siblings more than anything else in this world (even Luther), so if he needed to put up with a hug for them, he would do it.

 

Klaus felt another pair of arms wrap around him and Ben from the side, sniffling before letting out a quiet, “Diego?”

“I felt like this was better than just watching you two do your thing. Should I let go?” He asked. His arms were too tight and both Ben and Klaus could feel how stiff the rest of him was against him, but neither of them wanted him to let go. It wasn’t a great hug, but it was  _ so Diego _ .

Klaus couldn’t help but laugh at him. “No, no, this group hug is really nice. But I will suggest that you let go, only because of how long this hug has been and because of how long it’s been since I put on deodorant.” Klaus giggled out, and his brothers instantly drew away from him. He wiped away his tears as he laughed, watching his brothers sniff check their clothes. 

That was the end of their sad conversations for the day. Instead, they caught up with each other. Klaus finally learned what exactly Ben did, heard stories of his worst and best students, and listened to him talk about his recent book release. Klaus realized he  _ actually  _ enjoyed listening to people talk about their lives. When he was high, he didn’t have the patience or the attention span to sit and have a conversation. Now, he could spend hours listening to his brothers chat about anything. Surprisingly, Klaus liked being sober.

 

“So, Klaus, any ideas for jobs?” Ben asked his brother. He hadn’t talked much during the interaction, instead just sitting and listening.

“Yeah, actually, I think I have a pretty good idea.” Klaus grinned at the two men, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“What were you thinking?” Diego prompted him to speak.

Ben really wanted his brother to have a dream, something he felt would make him satisfied with his life, content with what he has. Books were always that for Ben. Klaus had drugs, but that wasn’t his  _ calling _ . Ben knew Klaus had to have something else, something bigger and better that would fulfill him, and he hoped whatever idea he had about a job would be that for him.

“I’m thinking paranormal investigation.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed. Please leave comments if you see any errors, or if you just wanna be nice. New chapter soon :)


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